Depending on how they were battered or struck, West Virginians who have been in physically abusive relationships may have sustained traumatic brain injuries. Statistics show that around 14 percent of men and 25 percent of women in the U.S. have at some point in their lives been the victims of serious physical assaults. Although the incidence of brain trauma among these survivors often takes a back seat to TBI diagnoses involving military veterans and contact sports players, there is a real risk.

In some cases, the medical attention received by abuse survivors overlooks the possibility of TBIs or fails to test for such injuries. Survivors have also been known to be wary of talking about the injuries they sustained. These combined factors can result in many-year delays, gradually worsening symptoms and ineffective treatment.

Being hit in the skull multiple times can lead to degenerative ailments like chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Sufferers may develop cognitive difficulties, problems with mood control, eventual dementia and depression that might lead to suicide. Although some survivors only experience relatively brief symptoms, others develop disabilities that permanently change their lives.

Those who survive abusive relationships or other dangerous situations involving head trauma may fail to anticipate the fact that the effects of their suffering could last for years. Because doctors can fail to bring the issue up, it might not occur to victims that they should seek TBI screenings, and those whose injuries are severe may gradually lose the ability to recognize their need for treatment. Having the assistance of an attorney when seeking compensation after a traumatic brain injury may help to offset future medical costs and similar expenses.